7X Better: Reentry That Stops the Revolving Door

⛓️‍💥 How JUMPSTART SC is Ending Recidivism in Your Backyard

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The Hard Truth: What Reentry Really Looks Like...

1 out of every 2 families in the US has a loved one who has been incarcerated, battled with addiction, or been significantly impacted by the criminal justice system.

Over 15,000 people are currently incarcerated in South Carolina. 85% are set to be released from prison in the next 5 years. Tragically, it is projected that 18% of those released will return to prison.

The current cost to house one inmate in a state institution for one year is $40,429, which is directly funded by the taxpayers of South Carolina. If 18% of those released return to prison, the financial burden on taxpayers compounds quickly.

For those who don’t directly go back to prison, 10% are immediately homeless after release, and a staggering 25% by the 30-day mark.

The numbers don’t lie – but they don’t tell the whole story either. Each number represents a story of real people, real mothers, real sons, real friends, real families, and real struggles – with lives forever changed by the justice system.

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The Reality of Life After Prison with No Support

But first, let’s take a deep dive into the hard reality of what it looks like to reenter society after being released from prison.  

You’ve hit your release date.

The only thing you carry out of prison is the clothes on your back and the bus ticket handed to you at the door. Other than that, all you have is you.

Next thing you know, you’re being put on a bus and shipped to a bus or train station, a halfway house, or the city that you used to live in, but isn’t home anymore.

You eventually arrive at a bus stop in the city where you were previously convicted, and they dump you out on the side of the street. No welcome. No support. Just the rough concrete beneath your feet and uncertainty stretching out in every direction.

Now what?

You’re hungry. You haven’t eaten since the last perfunctory meal you had in prison. You have no money to your name to buy food or water. You have nowhere to sleep. No hotel or motel will take you in without an ID, but it’s not like you could afford one anyway.

A halfway house? Maybe. But those require a process and time to get approved and still charge a fee that you have no way of covering. So, even if you did qualify, you wouldn’t be staying there tonight.

So, you walk. You wander around the city scouring for a somewhat safe place to rest your head. Somewhere where you won’t be beaten, mocked, taken advantage of, or run off. After hours of searching, you find a shady tree to lay under in a local park, hoping this can be the place where you make it through the night.

As the time ticks by, your mind begins to race with thoughts about what your next step is. You need food. You need shelter. But to do any of that, you need a job.

But you don’t have a valid ID, form of birth certificate, driver’s license, or social security card to prove you are who you say you are. No one will hire you without that and it’s not like you can get one anyways. You have no access to a computer to order one online. No mailing address for it to be ordered to. No transportation to get to a government office. And no money to pay the fees if you even could.

Even if you somehow acquire all the documents that you need, you’re still facing the stigma of a criminal record. Employers don’t want to take a chance on you, especially if there’s no one around to vouch for you. You’re labeled a risk, a liability, not worth the effort.

And say, by some miracle, someone does offer you minimum wage. That’s still not enough to afford a safe, stable place to live. And most landlords won’t rent to someone with a felony anyway, you’re a risk they’re not willing to take.

You think about calling someone. A friend. A relative. But the truth is, most of them stopped answering a long time ago. You burned so many bridges in your past life with your long list of regrets and mistakes, so they wrote you off when you were locked up. To them, they’re not wasting their time on someone who they think will never change.

And slowly, but surely, the weight of it all sinks in:

No money.

No job.

No ID.

No shelter.

No support.

No options.

Nothing.

Desperate and starving, you walk into a gas station and steal a sandwich, secretly hoping that you get caught. Because in prison, you’ll have food, a roof over your head, and at least someone else to talk to.

And just like that, you’re back inside.

Another number.

Another statistic.

In South Carolina, over 15,000 people are currently behind bars. In the next five years, 85% of them will be released:

• 18% are expected to return to prison

• 10% will be homeless within 24 hours

• 25% will be without housing in just 30 days

• The cost to house one person in prison for a year is $40,429, paid by South Carolina taxpayers

But these aren't just numbers. They're names. They’re fathers, daughters, sons, and mothers. Individuals made in God’s image who are desperate for a second chance.

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Hopeless Ends Where JUMPSTART SC begins...

JUMPSTART SC was developed to create a 360 approach that would address each hindrance that the formerly incarcerated face the moment they are released. We knew our program wouldn’t be successful unless we addressed all of the areas that incline the formerly incarcerated to reoffend, because one area missed is one step closer to recidivism. Our 2025 Recidivism data shows that our recidivism rate is 7X BETTER than the national average!

The primary inclinations to reoffend include homelessness, unemployment, poverty, lack of support, and trauma, which is further compounded by little to no access to housing, healthcare, or an ID.

Furthermore, we knew that 65% of those released are parents and 56% didn’t even graduate from high school, which informs problems of lack of education and family division.

From this precise overview, we created a roadmap of services and support that align directly with our mission here at JUMPSTART SC: help incarcerated men and women discover and live out God’s purpose for their lives. To fulfill our mission, we designed at least 10 different services of support, in order to show the formerly incarcerated that through the Lord’s grace and the helping hands of his servants, there is a pathway forward to success and reentry.

Homelessness  👉 Access to affordable, safe housing

No access to healthcare  👉 Access to physical, mental, and dental healthcare

No support   👉 Individual case management, individual mentoring, community engagement, access to recovery programs, recreational activities

No finances  👉 Instruction on financial literacy, assistance in managing a checking and savings account, assistance in building credit, and budgetary guidance to successfully pay all expenses

Lack of identification  👉 Individual case management within a participant's first 30 days to acquire all necessary forms of identification

Unemployment  👉 Individual case management with the purpose of vouching for participants' skills and willingness to be a productive worker, assistance with resume building, necessary job and skills training, permanent and meaningful employment

No transportation  👉 Transportation to employment, healthcare, and stores, budgetary assistance with the purpose of purchasing your own personal vehicle

OVERALL ACCESS TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES AND STRONG SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS:

• Discipleship

• Worship and Fellowship

• Responsibility and Accountability

• Christ-Centered Daily Habits

• Grace and Structure

• Leadership Training

• Service Opportunities

• Guidance in Finding a Home Church

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THIS FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND COMMUNITY IN SPARTANBURG, SC IS ONLY SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE GOSPEL REMAINS AT THE CENTER OF EVERY SERVICE, EVERY ACT OF SUPPORT, AND EVERY EXTENSION OF GRACE.

Those who stay 90+ days in the transitional phase of the program yield a 99.7% success rate, meaning they have nearly a 100% chance of not returning to prison and being able to transition back into society successfully.

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What We Provide:

🛏 Safe Housing — transitional homes designed for safety, stability, and dignity

🪪 Identification Help — assistance with an ID, birth certificate, and Social Security card

🩺 Healthcare Access — including physical, mental, and dental care

💼 Employment Support — resume help, job training, and advocacy with employers

💰 Financial Coaching — budgeting, credit building, savings plans

🚗 Transportation — rides to work, appointments, and help with budgeting for a vehicle

🕊 Spiritual Growth — discipleship, community, and church connection

Every service is built on a Gospel foundation.

True freedom doesn’t just come from walking out of prison. It comes from walking into a new life with Christ.

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Transformation You Can Believe In

• 96% of JUMPSTART inside graduates do not return to prison

• Graduates who complete the transitional program have a 99.7% success rate

• Participants reenter society as employed, stable, and disciplined individuals

• Generations are being restored, one life at a time

  
  

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The Ripple Effect of Restoration:

🌱 Families Reunited

🛡 Safer Communities

💵 Lower Taxpayer Burden

📈 Stronger Local Economies

JUMPSTART is not just reducing recidivism. We are rebuilding lives, healing families, and strengthening South Carolina from the inside out.

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Become a Part of Our Fight Against Recidivism

✨ Pray — for those still inside and those walking in freedom

✨ Volunteer — become a mentor, prayer partner, or teacher

✨ Visit — tour Restoration Village or the Indigo Hope Center

✨ Give — your generosity fuels transformation

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Without Change, Nothing Changes.

Together, we are building something that restores HOPE.

With your help, we can finish the village, restore lives, and create a future where no one is defined by their past. Spread the word!

👉 https://www.jumpstartvision.org/south-carolina